Method of making producer-gas.



No. 887,861. PATENTED MAY 19, 1908. E. P. SNOWDEN. METHOD OF MAKINGPRODUCER GAS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10, 1907.

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No. 887,861. PATENTED MAY 19, 1908. E. P. SNOWDEN.

METHOD OF MAKING PRODUCER GAS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10, 1907 9' 4 $HEBTS-SHEET 2.

No. 887,861. PATENTED MAY 19, 1908. B. P. SNOWDEN.

METHOD OF MAKING PRODUCER GAS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10, 1907.

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P ATENTED MAY 19, 1908.

E. P. SNOWDBN. METHOD OF MAKING PRODUCER GAS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10, 1907.

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EDWARD P. SNOWDEN, OF ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI.

METHOD OF MAKING PRODUCER-GAS.

Application filed January 10, 1907.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD P. SNOWDEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at St.

" Joseph, in the county of Buchanan and State of Missouri, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Making Producer-Gas,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a novel and im proved method of making what isknown as producer gas, a product created by converting hydrocarboncompounds, more especially semi-anthracite and bituminous coals,lignite, and peat, into a fixed gas suitable for power and othercommercial purposes; and the main object of the present invention is toeffect the conversion of such compounds more simply and completely thanhas heretofore been possible.

It is well known that when carbonaceous fuel is burned with oxygen,carbonic acid gas is produced; and that when the latter is passedthrough a mass of incandescent carbon, it is converted into carbonicoxid. It is also well known that the products of distillation arisingfrom the combustion of carbonaceous fuel containing a considerable percent. of volatile matter will condense unless they are maintained at atemperature of above 350 F., and that it requires about 1100 F. toconvert these products into a fixed gas.

The present invention contemplates maintaining the products ofdistillation at all times during the process above 350 F., so as toprevent any condensation of the hydrocarbon products; and it alsocontemplates subjecting these products to a temperature of above 11001*. during their conversion into a fixed gas.

l/Vhen atmospheric air is used to furnish the oxygen for the combustionof carbonaceous fuel, and steam is added thereto, the oxygen andhydrogen of which the latter is composed becomes dissociated at hightemperatures, the oxygen thus liberated combines with some of thecarbon, forming an additional supply of carbonic oxid, and

the dissociated hydrogen enriches the first products of combustion andthus reduces the relative proportion of diluent nitrogen in theresultant compound. Upon the degree of heat at which the steam andcondensable roducts are injected into the incandescent fuel, (and thesensible heat available over and above the temperature of about 1100Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1908.

Serial No. 351,705.

F.), depends the amount of steam and condensable matter that can beconverted into fixed gas.

I am aware that attempts have been made to convert the condensablevapors and volatile matter from the top zone of generators into a fixedgas by conveying the same through pipes or conduits and reintroducingthem into the combustion Zone of the generator but so far as I am awarea serious fault hitherto inhering in such methods of procedure has beenthe failure to maintain them at a sufficiently high temperature and theconsequent liability of such vapors and volatile matter to condenseprior to their reintroduction and conversion.

An important step of my present process, therefore, resides inmaintaining such condensable vapors and volatile matter at a temperatureconsiderably above the condensing point prior to their reintroduction tothe combustion Zone and their conversion into a fixed gas therein.

While it has heretofore been proposed to produce such a product ascontemplated by the present invention by first passing air, or air andsteam, through an incandescent earbonaceous fuel and subsequentlyrepassing the products of combustion through incandescent fuel in orderto give a fixed character thereto, yet so far as I know, this has neverbeen successfully accomplished owing (1) to the condensing of the firstproducts of distillation prior to reintroduction to the incandescentfuel; or (2) through lack of proper control of the direction of flow ofthe gases and volatile matter; resulting either in the diversion of thefirst products of combustion, unconverted into a fixed gas, into thedelivery conduit for the latter, or the diversion of the fixed gasesfrom their proper and intended course of travel into the path of travelof the original supply of oxygen and hydrogen.

In order that my improved process may be the more readily and fullyunderstood, I have herein illustrated a form of apparatus well adaptedfor the carrying out of the said process, the construction and mode ofoperation of which I will now describe. Said apparatus is fully shown inthe accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional view on the line 1-1 of Fig. 4through the complete apparatus; Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectionalview on line 22 of Fig. 4 through the main intermediate portion of thefurnace; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same, on an enlarged scale,more particularly showing the arrangement of the steam pipes andpoke-holes; Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 41et ofFig. 1 Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional detail of the nozzle through whichair or air and steam is introduced to the furnace from below; and Fig. 6is a detail of the steam and air supply for the outer or annular firethrough the reentry conduits from the top of the producer.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates a foundation of concrete orother suitable material on which the generator is erected, and 11designates the main body or furnace of the generator constructed, asusual, of highly refractory fire-resisting material. This latter restsupon a suitable base 12 erected on the concrete or other foundation 1Owithin which latter is a basin 13 to accommodate a water sealsurrounding the base of the generator, said basin also constituting anash bed in Which rests an ash column indicated at 14 immediately beneathand supporting the fuel column. That portion of the interior of thefurnace body immediately above the ash column is designed to support abody of incandescent fuel, the central portion at least of Whichconsists of some form of carbonaceous compound, preferably some kind ofbitumi nous or similar coal from which the carbonaceous elements of thegas to be produced are obtained.

Embedded in the foundation 10, and preferably surrounded by aninsulating pipe 15, is a pipe 16, through which is passed air, or steam,or both together, for supporting combustion of the fuel in thegenerator. This pipe 16, with its surrounding and insulating pipe 15,extends upward through the ash column coincidently with the axial centerof the generator, being preferably surrounded by a thick concreteinsulation 17 (Fig. 5), and terminates in a suitably aperturedcone-shaped deflector nozzle 18 designed to disperse and spray theincoming air or air and steam, so that the same may enter the superposedbody of fuel in a thoroughly commingled and finely divided anddistributed state. For this purpose the nozzle may be provided With anannular series of lateral apertures 19, and its cap or cover withoblique apertures 20, above which latter may be applied a de fiectingcap or hood 21 serving to disperse in radial directions the oblique jetsdischarged through the apertures 20, and to protect the escape aperturesfrom clogging.

22 indicates the intermediate or central portion of a body ofincandescent fuel, and 23 indicates the surrounding or annular portionof the fire. In practice the portions 22 and 23 may, and commonly will,consist of a single body of incandescent fuel; but as a matter of factthe central and surrounding annular parts of the body of fuel constitutein effect two distinct fires having independent functions; for whichpurpose the central portion must be of some carbonaceous gas-producingfuel; while the outer or annular portion need only be of a combustiblematerial capable of maintaining a degree of heat (1100 F. or higher)sufficient to convert the distilled hydrocarbons and volatile productsgenerated by the central fire into a fired gas.

Embedded in the walls of the generator at intervals therearound arevertical conduits 24, which conduits open at their upper ends into thechamber of the generator slightly above the upper surface of the fuel,and at their lower ends open into the chamber of the generator slightlyabove the plane of the bottom end of the incandescent body of fuel. Thealls of the generator above the upper ends of the conduits 24 arevertically grooved, as indicated at 25 in alinement with the conduits 21, within which vertical grooves are inserted. pipes 26 the lower endswhereof extend some distance into the conduits 24, as best shown in Fig.2. These pipes are for the purpose of admitting superheated steam toform a strong suction in the conduits 24 for the purpose of drawing theproducts of combustion from the central portion 22 of the incandescentfuel, and also to supply oxygen for supporting combustion in the outeror annular fire 23, said steam pipes 26 being connected at their upperends by suitably valved couplings 27 to an annular steam pipe 28, Whichlatter is supplied from steam supply pipe 29 indirectly throughsuperheating means herein shown as consisting of pipes 30 extending fromthe top of the generator nearly to the bottom of inclosing tubes 31,said pipes 30 being connected to the steam supply pipe 29 and its branch29 and the tubes 30 being connected through valve-controlled branches 31with the annular distributing pipe 28. It will be seen that by virtue ofthis arrangement the steam from the original source of supply passesfirst through the pipes 30 and tubes 31 which depend into the combustionchamber of the generator, and is thereby superheated prior to itsintroduction to the conduits 24. Surrounding the steampipes 26 I mayalso have enveloping airpipes 26, controlled by valves 26 (see Fig. 6)for the purpose of introducing air along with the steam for the purposeof the better supporting combustion in the outer or annu lar fire zone23.

Embedded in the wall of the generator between the planes of the upperand lower surfaces of the fire, is an annular conduit 32 designed toreceive and carry off the fixed gas from the outer annular fire, forwhich purpose the conduit 32 has a series of inner radial ports 33opening through the inner surface of the generator at intervals. Theconduit 32 also has preferably a corresponding series of short radialports 34 opposite the radial ports 33 extending to the outer surface ofthe generator wall and covered by suitable caps 35, so as to constitutesight openings for observing the condition of the fire, poking, etc., atthat level. The conduit 32 also communicates at one or more points witha discharge conduit indicated at 36 in Figs. 2 and 4, which latterconnects with an exhaust blower or fan (not shown) whereby an induceddraft is maintained in the delivery conduit 32.

The walls of the generator may also be provided with a series of sightholes 37 covered by caps 38 and located substantially opposite thenormal bottom of the fuel column, so as to enable the location andcondition of the bottom of the fuel column to be readily inspected.

In order to counteract shrinkage which occurs at the periphery orcircumference of the fuel column, in case bituminous or similar fuel isused, and which therefore is apt to produce leakage or short-circuitingof the products of combustion and volatile matter at such points, fromthe top of the fuel column directly to the radial ports 33, I preferablyemploy an annular member 39 having a tapering and downwardly convergentinner surface located opposite the upper surface of the fuel body, sothat a comparatively intimate contact of the fuel body with the wall ofthe furnace is maintained, notwithstanding the shrinkage of the fuelbody, and leakage at such points is prevented, as will be more readilyunderstood in connection with the description of the carrying out of theprocess in the apparatus illustrated.

On the upper end of the generator chamher is mounted a fuel feedingdevice indicated as a whole by 40, the purpose of which is to feed thecoal uniformly and continuously to the fire beneath. The particularconstruction of this fuel-feeding device forms no part of the presentinvention, but the principal 3 parts thereof comprise a fuel magazine 4Ocontaining in its upper portion a hopper 40 having a central dischargeopening 40", a vertical axially disposed shaft 40 extending through thehopper, a rotary distributer 40 secured to the lower end of said shaftwith depending delivery chutes or tubes 40 a sleeve 4O surrounding theshaft 40 and provided with radial sweeps 40 overlying the distributer 40bevel gears 4O and 40 on the upper ends of the shaft and sleeve,respectively, and a driving pinion 40 on a shaft 40 operating said bevelgears, as shown. An intermediate distributer 40 is also applied to thesleeve above the main distributer and first receives the coal from thehopper; the coal being displaced therefrom by inwardly projectingstationary fingers 40 secured in the wall of the fuel magazine. Thisfeeding device rests in a Water seal 41 surrounding its lower end,

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which latter is provided with an overflow pipe 42 leading downwardlyinto the lower Water seal 13 surrounding the base of the generator. Thetop of the generator is further provided with an annular row ofpokeholes 43 (Fig.2) covered by removable caps 44 resting in water-seals45 to prevent escape of gas at such points.

At 46 is indicated an injector through which air and steam, either orboth, is forced into the inlet pipe 16, and 47 indicates a steam pipethrough which steam is admitted, to operate the injector and supplysteam when used.

My improved method of generating producer gas when carried out by theapparatus herein shown and described, is performed in the followingmanner. The fire having been started in the generator, and fuel fedthereto until an incandescent body of coal is produced substantiallybetween the upper edge of the ring 39 and the plane of the sight holes37 air or steam, but preferably the two commingled, is forced throughthe pipes 16, and is delivered through the spraying nozzle to the underside of the fire at the central zone thereof. By reason of the fact thatthe distance from the point of entry, of the air and steam, to the uppersurface of the central portion of the fire is less than the distancefrom said point of entry to the outlet ports 33, such steam and airfollows the shorter path, by virtue of the lesser resistance offeredthereby, upwardly through the central portion 22 of the incandescentfuel, and rises above the surface of the central fire in the form of amixture of carbonic acid gas, carbonic oxid, and the products ofdistillation of the coal and other volatile matter given off by thelatter. During this time steam having been turned on through the pipes26, and air through pipes 26*, when required, a strong downward suctionor siphoning efiect is created through the reentry conduits 24 justabove the fire, and the products of combustion are thus drawn downwardlyby such suction through said reentry conduits and, commingled with thesteam, or steam and air, enter the sides of the outer or annular firezone near the bottom of the latter, through the lower ends of thereentry conduits. The products of combustion and steam rise through theouter or annular fire until they reach the ports 33 of the annularconduits 32 embedded in the wall of the generator, being drawn towardthe latter by the induced draft in conduit 32, and during this passagethrough the annular fire the steam or steam and air having suppliedoxygen to maintain combustion, the carbonic acid gas is converted intocarbonic oxid, and the products of distillation and volatile gases,being heated to or above 1 100 F., are converted into a fixed gas, whichis drawn off to the point of storage or consumption through the ports33, conduits 32, and outlet 36. It should be observed as constituting animportant feature of the present process that the reentry conduits 24are, by virtue of their position in the generator, maintained at such ahigh temperature (above 350 F.) as to prevent lowering of thetemperature of the products of distillation therethrough below thatpoint, whereby condensation of such products of distillation or any partthereof is prevented. The discharge of the fixed gas through the ports33, conduits 32, and discharge branch 36, is insured by reason of theinduced draft and the shorter path between the lower ends of the reentryconduits 24 and the ports 33 as compared with the distance between thelower ends of said reentry conduits and the central zone of the firebody through which the original air and steam are passing.

The apparatus herein shown and described is not claimed in the presentapplication, but forms the subject-matter of a companion applicationfiled concurrently herewith, Serial No. 351,704.

I claim:

1. A method of converting hydrocarbon compounds into aiixed gas, whichconsists in maintaining a body of incandescent fuel having a centralzone and a surrounding annular zone, p assing an oxygen-be aring agentthrough one of said zones, and thence conducting the gases and volatileproducts thus generated under a temperature suflicient to preventcondensation into and through the other of said zones, whereby thecarbon dioXid is converted into carbon monoXid and the condensableproducts of distillation are converted into a fixed gas, substantiallyas described.

2. A method of converting hydrocarbon compounds into a fixed gas, whichconsists in feeding fresh fuel onto a body of incandescent fuel,simultaneously passing air and steam through the central zone of saidbody of incandescent fuel, thence conducting the gases and volatileproducts thus generated under a temperature sufficient to preventcondensati on beneath and through the outer zone of said body ofincandescent fuel, whereby the carbon dioXid is converted into carbonmonoXid and the condensable products of distillation are converted intoa fixed gas, substantially as described.

3. A method of converting hydrocarbon compounds into a fixed gas, whichconsists in continuously feeding a gas-producing fuel upon anincandescent bed of the same and supplying oxygen to effect combustionof the fresh fuel by passing air or air and steam through. the centralportion of the incandescent mass, drawing off the gases evolved by theaid of an inducing current and under a temperature sufficient to preventcondensation, and then passing such heated gases through the outerportion of the incandes cent mass and collecting the gas product upontheir exit therefrom, substantially as described.

f. A method of converting hydrocarbon compounds into a fixed gas, whichconsists in continuously feeding a gas-producing fuel upon anincandescent body of the same and supplying oxygen to effect combustionof the fresh fuel by passing air or air and steam through the centralportion of the incandescent mass, drawing off the gases evolved in thezone of contact between the fresh fuel and the burning mass by the aidof an inducin g current and under a temperature sufficient to preventcondensation, and then passing such heated gases through the outerportion of the incandescent mass without eommingling with theoxygen-bearing medium and collecting the gas product upon their exittherefrom, substantially as described.

EDVJAlrD P. SNOVDEN. Witnesses SAMUEL N. POND, CHAS. A. HARVEY.

